New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-03-14
BEECHER'S LIFE At INDIAN1POLIS
From tn, indianapolis Journal

The first conspicuous cfrou Of Mr.. Bccchcr above
the Level Of bis Ordinary ialo3 !1is wa r9'
gong 0n-iagng would Laruly be 700 rtrOhS q
d.scrIon-between the Christian denOm.nat ion (calcd
then disciples" and "Campteiiitcs.J and other eco
tarcs, tie mo OF ba. tioni, the former hOlulhI
Mohodsts and PieSbytcriins dissenting. Public de
bates frequent ana sometimes artlHpho'.', III
adhercnt OF the conn araivcly new sect here OF Dis
cines being Invariably one Of tue contestants. Row
John q Kane a noted ccntrOversiuist Oi that demon
nation, once. in a gOodhumord AMI rather JoouiAr
tome I'm the hearing OF the wfitsT challenged Dir.
IeeChcr a public debate, hut tho cialLihgo Nas ~
clined as eassnty n 1t was offered la this state
Of feeling among the denominations here and all over
the West Mr.. Bccchcr carried ON hi hft Ic'H a. au
an Incident OF made him the subject Of the first very
harsh con urc he had probably over encountered HIS
congregation and many 81 cctitor- lad LithoIfh on
the canal bann. near Kentucky avenro bridge, to
y,nc.. tho bar tisIn. immersion in the canal OF
che Of the revival converts. son OF solon v" Morris
"A prominent citizen. who believed IN that mode OF ~
nin-tIation Of the rite. Before proceeding IN II slr.
Iccchcr made brif speech 10 tho crowd. IN when
he said that no he'll any mode oi baptism eiioc.a.
but would always that which the subject OF ~
preferred. This was little lc-- then than an avo~al
Of agnosticism now. 20 tho "immer'ionisC ana ,hey
made Mr. Bccchcr the tcAt Of soOI deal oil unple''
ant anmadvcTsion
In 1913 he delivered a series Of twelve Lectures
to Young Men" primarily aiming TO his rcvi, n
converts and their associate. OF the temptations sri.
method. OF n, oidance or resistance. They were
wen piece Of work, in bicrary Ioint OF view.
condition and necessities Of youne mcn especially IN
city life. Thoy were always larg,ly attended. ana
almost always cordially approved Inc ohiy e.oD''p
va that the "Stringe woman ana thar a. nc
hum Ss9oly y Sa IN S had taS a
edition soli hero. aud a second i-suod when wa
republishod In ENGLAND the hr't work OF an Indiana
author thus honorcd
Some two or thrce years before he LEFT his church
here for tho "Pymouth.' In Brooilyn he delivered
several sermons the subject Of Temperance. His
father was ono OF the frst. not the very hr-t man
Of eminenco in this country TO mas 1Icoaty .,
kept even step with the venerable missionary OF so
briefly aud deccncy and It b, not at all improbable
surpassed him In the Nigor OF hs rcpfobail0n OF IN
Temperance. He EXTENDED his condemnation Beyond
always callrd when IL wasn't called "doggery." and
in the d-tller and the Who'll sale dealer "A equally
Gull able. Thero wa~ no beer drunk In those days or
whiskey that the turned into. except ~ tho
old woman said "what little Ia wasted In bread" The
dstller, there ore, got not only The hot end but
the whole poker. aud regarding himself and bcnS
generally regarded "a conspououslj respectable
member Of society. he Qua not fancy being associated
with the doggcry keeper wo made ~ trade profitable
A Mr. Comegys who had at one timo been eneagod
in the mercantile business hers but nj that time was
concerned In a distilcry at Iawrnccburg. probably
took huge offence ~ The "unrcs ccti'e' preacher.
and attacked his temperance Y achngs with moro
violence than f0rco in The Journal" Mr. Bcechef
rcl lied, and was mot by reioinder which was
two or three letters on each ,idc In the last Of the
TO method Of refutation that suggested thrat OF
personal chastiscmont. TO this came the Character
stic reto that II there was to be nsht the preacher
This 80 far the writer cmcmbors, ended the only
newspale controversy hat tho famons preacher over
lad here. AM he probably never had more excited
one In his later life.
I'm the fall Of 1885. the writer thinks he care
here on leCtufng tour under tho management of
some Eastern imDre6sari0," and delivered lecture
AGAINST "KnOw-nohneism" or the policy OF restrict
nc The naturalization Of foreign immlgants by greatly
IeEethenin- the precedent term 81 residence. IL was
in this address that he illustrated the absuriity Of
the fear Of "fOcIgni ng"-to coin wOrl-the country
Lv the remark "N hen eat chicken. don't become
chicken; chIcIrn becomes me-"
g. w. Sloan says: " | recall an anccdote Illustrating
as think Mr. Beechcrs love Of humOr and ,lrolery lie
was naturally cut out for great actor Once lie was re-
turning FROM Tcrrc Iaute 10 this city IN stage coach
Mr. GraydOn. prominent member Of hi c1npregn,ion
got into the coach GTccncaStlc II was dark and no,
logging along little In silence Mr. Beecher disVs.d
his voice and began making inquiries OF Mr. Gravdon as
10 where he lived. When he learned 10 was i'm I-,n,n,
lis he began ply his with all nnnn "f
uuestons inquired about Bccchers church ANA ,nn,,a
CATION and finally about Beechcr himself Mr. C,rovdon
was loyal and cuogzcd Bccclcr greatly Tho Loax wa
discovered at the next stopping place"
when Mr.. Bccchcr came 10 break MP hous.keen,pc
here he divided his flowers and plants nInnug h.If a
dozen or more persons. remember gOlng Ia ms y,,cn
where he dug up plants for me 10 carry home To nv
mother Beechcr was inc hist person bring rare
plants and flowers TO this city and give taste for "
culture